City may spend $6 million on building

TUSCALOOSA | A $6.016 million construction contract for a new facility to house the city's Environmental Services Department could be approved as early as next week.

By Jason MortonStaff Writer

TUSCALOOSA | A $6.016 million construction contract for a new facility to house the city's Environmental Services Department could be approved as early as next week.Once housed with other city departments and offices within the Richard A. Curry Municipal Services Facility at the northwestern corner of Kauloosa Avenue and 35th Street, the Environmental Services Department was destroyed when the building took a direct hit from the April 27, 2011, tornado.On Nov. 20, the City Council's Public Projects Committee approved the contract for construction of a new building just for the Environmental Services Department at the northeast corner of Kauloosa Avenue and 35th Street, across the street from its former home.The contract, which is divided among nine different contractors and construction businesses, is expected to go before the full City Council for approval on Dec. 4.There is no council meeting today.“I am very pleased that the bids came in on target, and we are just very anxious and excited to break ground,” said Shane Daugherty, director of the city's Environmental Services Department.The final total falls within the estimated $6.06 million of construction costs that was part of the unveiling of the new facility's plans this summer.In fact, the base bid came in low enough that Clif Penick, director of the city's Facilities Maintenance Department, urged the committee to approve alternate contracts for the demolition of an water tank and the installation of an outdoor storage area for city equipment.Penick stopped short of suggesting the addition of a third alternate for paving on the site, noting that this work can be added later.“Every one of these items is necessary,” Penick said, “but we vetted them out to know exactly what we can afford.”If the City Council approves the contract next week, construction could begin as soon as early to mid-January 2013.Plans for the facility were presented to the City Council's Public Projects Committee in July and incorporate modern garbage processing equipment that the department lacked in its former building.The design also contains elements that can accommodate visitors and customers in ways that the department was unable to do before, such as a 24-hour drop-off point for recycled materials and an observation deck for use during guided tours of the operation.Before the tornado, officials at the Environmental Services Department hosted occasional tours of the recycling plant for scout troops or school groups, officials said.Replacement of the facility has been delayed until now while City Hall attempted to reach a settlement with its insurance provider, Alabama Municipal Insurance Corp., over the cost to replace the Curry Building.Both sides agreed to settle for $28.5 million in May to replace the facility and the contents it once contained.In addition to the $6.016 million in construction costs, city officials are planning to dedicate $1.515 million of insurance proceeds toward engineering, furnishings, equipment and other costs related to the facility's replacement.